ELDER LAW -- In Chicago, IL the Heartland Law Firm can help anyone concerned about a senior citizen in the Chicago land area. We help your find the right senior care options for your loved one without losing all of your money to a nursing home. In Chicago, IL there is a terrible gap between what the law actually is and what people believe the law to be. Most people do not take the time to consult a specialist in this area. Instead, they listen to half-truths and myths and believe there is no hope. We provide peace of mind and security and show people how to save tens of thousands of dollars – or more – with the proper planning. Our job as elder law attorneys is to make sure you and your loved ones will be protected when you or they can no longer take care of themselves. Elder law includes estate and tax planning, nursing home asset protection, planning for incapacity, Medicaid planning, Veterans’ Benefits, long-term care insurance issues and other health care matters and planning.  We have been helping (area) families navigate the elder law space with a high degree of success.

ESTATE PLANNING -- We cannot over-emphasize the importance of early estate planning. People of all ages need to have certain basic tools in place. Estate planning includes wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney, living wills and health care powers of attorney, and coordinating property ownership and beneficiary designations with the overall plan. Because we are both estate planning and elder law attorneys, we offer more protections for our clients that most estate planning or other elder law attorneys don’t consider.  If you and your family live in the (area) give us a call to dicuss your estate planning options.

ESTATE SETTLEMENT -- In Illinois, there is much written about the estate settlement process and probate. The reality is that much of the information given to consumers is misleading or simply false. The fact is that your experience with what happens when a loved one dies has more to do with the lawyer you hire to help you than any other factor. Choose the wrong lawyer and your experience will be a time-consuming, expensive nightmare. The attorneys and staff at the Elder Law Firm of Heartland Law Firm take great pride in simplifying the estate settlement and probate process so that you can relax knowing things are been handled properly. By simplifying the process, we can also save you time and money. The Law firm assists with all aspects of estate and trust settlement and probate, including the preparation of Illinois inheritance tax returns, federal estate and gift tax returns and fiduciary income tax returns.

GUARDIANSHIP AND ESTATE LITIGATION – This includes contested and uncontested guardianship proceedings, Will and Trust reformations and Will and Trust disputes.

SPECIAL NEEDS PLANNING – Special needs planning plays an important role for families striving to meet current and future financial and medical needs of a disabled family member. Through the use of various types of “special needs trusts” you can preserve a disabled person’s entitlement to various government benefit programs designed for people with disabilities." These trusts are also used to preserve personal injury judgments for individuals who have been severely injured and disabled due to an accident. The overall goal of special needs planning is to substantially improve the life of the disabled individuals by preserving public assistance benefits; providing for cost effective medical treatment coverage and establishing a way to effectively manage the disabled person’s financial resources.

SEMINARS AND PUBLIC SPEAKING -- Could you use and elder law attorney to speak at one of your events?  Marty Fogarty is available to speak to local groups and organizations. Elder law presentations are his forte.  He provides in-service training for social workers and are available to speak on all estate planning and elder law topics. If you are interested in having Marty speak at an event, please contact us.

-The Heartland Law Firm Team

Additional Practice areas: Elder Law, Estate Tax Planning, Protecting Your Home, Transferring Assets, Special Needs Trusts, Special Needs Planning, Probate Law, Estate Planning, Medicaid Planning, Protecting Your Spouse, Guardianship Lawyers, Guardianships & Conservatorships, Nursing Home Residents' Rights, Personal Injury Settlements, Medicaid, Medicare